Rafael Leão’s contract at Milan will expire in June 2024. And that’s why the Rossoneri are trying to extend his stay by offering him a renewal at the Italian club. But a potential operation looks far from easy.
According to what is reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport, the player would be happy to sign an extension and continue at Milan. But there are several obstacles, including the demands of Leão’s representatives and the money owed to Sporting, the club where the winger grew as a footballer.
The report suggests that Leão’s father and Jorge Mendes would like to receive “rich” rewards in the form of commissions if the Portuguese were to sign a contract extension with the Rossoneri. Above all, the money owed to Sporting CP is around €19.5 million (including the interest).
It remains unresolved whether Leão would have to pay that amount himself or Lille would contribute half of it as the player joined the French club after terminating his contract unilaterally with the Lisbon-based side in 2018. Lille are understood to be unhappy about the previous ruling. But they are hopeful of getting a favourable decision next time. And thus, the Ligue 1 side is currently awaiting the next judgment.
Meanwhile, Milan would like to extend Leão’s contract as soon as possible, with clubs such as Manchester City, Man United, Chelsea, PSG, Liverpool, and Real Madrid keeping tabs on the situation. Speaking to the media, Milan technical director Paolo Maldini said, “Leao renewal? We would like to do it before the World Cup. Indeed, we wanted to do it a year ago and six months ago. Then there must be the conditions to do it. The idea is to do it before the World Cup break. We’ll see what happens.“
GIFN | Jyotirmoy Halder
